GLEANINGS IN BKE ClI/rXRE 



Ai'G. 15 



with l)ees that were cominp; in from the 

 field, while those in the log were coming 

 l)elhr.ell through the escajie, having been 

 stirred up by driving the nails. 



In two hours I had a good strong colony 

 in the hive, and more coming out of the 

 log. Now, to make a long story short, I 

 left them just as they were for five weelvs, 

 at the end of which time I removed the es- 

 cape from the board, leaving the board over 

 the hole. I then sulphured the queen and 

 remaining bees that were still in the log by 

 blowing the sulphur fumes through the 

 one-inch hole in the board. After giving 

 them a gootl dose of sulphur I closed up the 

 hole with a cork. In about 12 hours I re- 

 moved the cork and waited one week more. 

 The bees from the hive piled into that log, 

 and brought out the honey, i)utting it in 

 the hive. 



I'ittsfield, 111. 



BEE-KEEPING IN CALIFORNIA. 



A Laurel Canyon Bee-keeper Who Sells His 



Whole Crop from a Small Store 



Close to the Apiary. 



BY MRS. H. G. ACKLIN. 



A trip to beautiful Hollywood, from this 

 city, is interesting at any time; but at this 

 season of the year it is perfectly delightful, 

 especially after a refreshing rain, which we 

 were fortunate enough to receive the day 

 previous to this visit. Green fields are eve- 

 ry where between the two cities — or, I should 

 say, between IjOS Angeles and its attractive 

 suburb, as "they two " are now one, Holly- 

 wood having been annexed to the larger 

 city at a recent election. 



(iuite extensive fields of peas in bloom 

 can be seen from the trolley car; but I do 

 not know whether the blossom is honey- 

 producing. Carnations and many other va- 

 rieties of flowers are grown in many places 



PARTIAL VIEW OF DAVID K. SMITH'S APIARY, NKAR l.()S AN- 

 GELES, CALIFORNIA. 



along the way. There are a few orange and 

 lemon orchards, also olive-groves. 



At the end of the car line, where the road 

 starts up the canyon at a gentle slo})e, is an 

 orange an<l lemon grove. Undei theorange- 

 trees the ground was as white as if snow had 

 fallen; but on looking at the trees one miss- 

 ed no bloom, as they were literally one mass 

 of white with green leaves peeping out be- 

 tween; and the fragrance of those blossoms 

 is beyond compare. In trying to describe 

 the delicious odor of an orange-grove in 

 bloom, a friend said last spring, "It is like 

 stepping out into Paradise." 



After an invigorating walk of about three- 

 quarters of a mile along this canyon road, 

 which, by the way, is a very good one, as 

 automobiles are passing and repassing al- 

 most constantly, the ai)iary of Mr. David 

 K. Smith comes into view. He has terrac- 

 ed the side hill just opposite the road and 

 across a little ravine, and on those level stei)S 

 he has placed his 175 colonies of bees. 



Mr. Smith has a small honey-store on a 

 level with and just beside the road, so an 

 auto or any vehicle can be driven alongside, 

 and the occupants procure honey without 

 alighting. In fact, he disjioses of his entire 

 crop at very good prices, right from that lit- 

 tle store; and last season he bought oS ten- 

 gallon cases more to supi)lv his trade. If 

 every bee-keeper could ])lan some wa>' of 

 disposing of his honey crop as successfully 

 as has Mr. Smith, the honey commission 

 men might go out of business. 



Just over the little range of mountains 

 from where this apiary is located is San Fer- 

 nando \'alley, a fertile farming country 

 twenty-five by thirty miles in extent, or 

 thereabout. AlDOut two miles to the west, and 

 iq) grade all the way, is I^ookout Mountain, 

 from whose little liat top can be seen the 

 whole country roundabout, including the 

 grand old Pacific, towns intervening, and 

 beach towns — Santa Catalina Island, and 

 islands still further out. A party, including 

 the writer, reached this little eminence one 

 evening last fall just 

 after the sun had dis- 

 appeared. and the 

 beauty of it all was 

 beyond description. 



The honey flora on 

 these small moun- 

 tains is limited. The 

 bees wt're gathering 

 jiollen from the li\e 

 oak, and possibly 

 some from sycatnore- 

 trees. The manzani- 

 ta docs not flourish 

 there. I obtained 

 s|)ecimens of two 

 kinds of sage and the 

 horehound plant. The 

 calnip i)lant has been 

 tried, and yielded well 

 for a time, but could 

 not survive the long 

 dry summers. The 

 sag e s', white and 



